⏱ 2 min read
A former West Virginia correctional officer has admitted to conspiring with other officers to use unreasonable force against inmates at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, WV. Michael Pack, 39, of Beckley, pleaded guilty on March 30, 2026, to one count of violating 18 U.S.C. § 371, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Pack and his co-conspirators would target inmates they believed had engaged in misconduct, striking, assaulting, and harming them in areas of the jail not captured on surveillance cameras.
According to his plea agreement, Pack and his co-conspirators would prepare false reports to cover up their actions, denying the use of force and failing to document injuries sustained by inmates. This tactic allowed them to avoid being held accountable for their actions. The conspiracy was uncovered by the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, Charleston Resident Agency, which investigated the case.
Pack is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24, 2026. The case was prosecuted by Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and former Trial Attorney Sam Kuhn of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing.
The guilty plea is a significant development in the case, highlighting the need for accountability within the correctional system. The use of force against inmates is a serious violation of their rights, and the conspiracy to cover up such actions is a disturbing example of corruption within the system.
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📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Public Corruption
- Defendant: West Virginia
- Location: WV
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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